The school at Yorkville has been much improved since our last report, and promises greater usefulness by a division of the scholars. The school at Harlaem supports its high character, and does great credit to the assiduous attention of its trustees. The school at Manhattanville merits equal commendation, and for neatness, regularity and attention, has few superiors. The Hamilton school has improved in its conveniences, but from the spare population of its district, cannot increase in numbers. In conclusion, the commissioners would congratulate the corporation, the Superintendent of common schools, and the public generally, on the gradual progress and improvement in the city, and would bear testimony to the diligence and attention of the trustees to all the schools under their supervision. By order of the board. WILLIAM THOMPSON, Chairman. SAML. N. DODGE, Sec'y. City and County of New-York, ss. I, Abraham Asten, Clerk of the city and county of New-York, do hereby certify the preceding to be a true copy of the original on file in my office. ABM. ASTEN, Clerk. New-York, 9th Nov. 1833. Extract from the 28th Annual Report of the Trustees of the Public School Society of New-York, May, 1833. "The large amount of funds annually placed, by existing laws, under the control of the public school society, has led the trustees to an examination of the general system of public school instruction in this city; and the result has been, the recent adoption by the board of several important modifications of the plan heretofore pursued. A short exposition of the system, now proposed for common school education in New-York, so far as the public schools are concerned, may here be appropriate and acceptable. 6 "The general features of the plan, as stated in the report of a committee of the board who prepared the details, are embraced in the proposition, that primary schools be established in all parts of the city, into which all the junior children, learning the first rudiments, should be received: and that the public schools be hereafter supplied with pupils from these schools. The course of education in the public schools to be rendered more extensive and efficient "by the employment of additional instructors.' The primary schools are to be kept in suitable hired rooms, to be instructed by female teachers, each with a junior assistant at a small salary, and to consist of about eighty children, of both sexes. Girls of any age over four years, and boys over four but not exceeding ten years, to be admitted to these schools, provided they are not qualified for the public schools. "The course of education to embrace, spelling, easy reading, punctuation, definitions, writing on slates, and the elements of arithmetic and geography, with general useful knowledge on the principle of conversation on common things.' The girls to be also taught plain sewing. The schools to be divided into five classes; and when a child has acquired a knowledge of the lessons of the fifth or highest class, he or she is to be promoted to a public school. "The primary schools are to be conducted on a modification of the monitorial system; a similar classification being used; together with slates instead of writing books, and lesson boards in lieu of books for all but the fifth class. But the monitorial duties are to be performed to a great extent by the teachers themselves. "As an adjunct of the general system, primary departments for young children, of both sexes, will be held in the basement rooms of the public school buildings. These schools consist of from two to three hundred children, and are conducted on the infant school plan, with some variations, intended to assimilate them more to the primary schools. "The opening of numerous elementary schools, in the immediate vicinity of the poorer classes of society, will, it is believed, induce many who have been negligent with regard to the education of their children, to embrace the proffered boon, thus brought to their very doors. "The younger children, engaged in the introductory branches, being separated from the elder ones in the public schools, and the time and responsibility of the teachers of the latter being relieved from this portion of their important charge, room will be made for the introduction of additional branches of study, and a much more efficient attention may be given to all and each of the children.— The trustees have long been aware, that, however peculiarly appropriate the monitorial system may be, and is, to a school of several hundred children, under charge of a single teacher, conducted with primary reference to a very limited expenditure, and confined in its course to the rudiments of knowledge-to give adequate and appropriate instruction to all the scholars, required the employment of additional teachers, and especially so if a more liberal course of education were introduced. With this view of the subject, and believing that the judgment of their fellow citizens will accord with their own, also that the ample funds now provided will warrant an increased expenditure, aud that these means will be continued so long as they are beneficially and economically applied, the trustees have decided to employ a well qualified assistant teacher in each of the public schools, and to introduce several additional branches of study. "It is proposed, to receive into these schools hereafter, no children but such as have acquired an acquaintance with the rudiments taught in the primary schools, except in particular cases. That the course of instruction embrace a continuance of the branches commenced in the primary schools, conducting the pupils to a competent knowledge of reading, writing, arithmetic, and geography; and in addition the following, viz: English grammar, composition, and declamation, book-keeping, the elements of history, astronomy, algebra, geometry, and trigenometry." IN ASSEMBLY, January 9, 1834. MESSAGE From the Governor, transmitting communications from the Executives of the States of New-Hampshire, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut. TO THE ASSEMBLY. GENTLEMEN, I have the honor to transmit to you communications from the Executives of the States of New-Hampshire, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut, transmitting to me resolutions of the Legislatures of their respective States on several subjects. Albany, Jan. 9, 1834. W. L. MARCY. [Assem. No. 11.] 1 (No. I.) RESOLUTIONS Of the Legislature of New Hampshire relative to the exchange of law reports, and of the organization of the militia of the several States of the Union. STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE. To His Excellency, SIR, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, The Governor of the State of New-York: I herewith transmit to you a copy of a resolve of the Legislature of this State, relative to an exchange of Legal Reports. I have the honor to be, sir, Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened, That the Secretary of State be authorized to procure to be bound a sufficient number of the surplus sets of the New-Hampshire Reports remaining in his or the Treasurer's office, and exchange for the Reports of the decisions of Courts of such states as may offer or be willing to exchange; and that the Governor be requested to transmit a copy of this resolution to the Governors of the several States of the Union. Approved, July 2, 1833. A true copy, RALPH METCALF, |